Current Students Fees & Financial Support FEE-HELP Loan

FEE-HELP Loan

FEE-HELP is a government loan program used by Australian citizens, permanent humanitarian visa holders and some New Zealand citizens to defer payment of their subject fees.

Am I eligible?

If you are:

  • an Australian citizen, or
  • a permanent humanitarian visa-holder, or
  • a New Zealand citizen who meets certain criteria,

your course is not Commonwealth supported, and you meet residency requirements, you are eligible for a FEE-HELP loan. If you have used FEE-HELP before, you must also ensure you have not reached the maximum limit.

Trained overseas professionals who want to undertake bridging study at JCU and have met specific eligibility criteria can also apply for FEE-HELP.

The Australian Government is proposing changes to Higher Education from 1 January 2018 and to the test for Australian Citizenship (for applications made after 20 April 2017). To find out how these changes may affect you if the legislation is passed, refer to the StudyAssist and the Department of Home Affairs websites.

Steps to defer

Submit the Request for FEE-HELP assistance form through eStudent. See defer your fees.

When do I repay my loan?

You can make voluntary repayments of your HELP loan at any time to the Australian Taxation Office, otherwise repayments will automatically be deducted once you begin earning an income above the compulsory repayment threshold.

How do I view my FEE-HELP balance?

Each study period, JCU will provide you with a Commonwealth Assistance Notice. (CAN) This notice details how much you have been charged and the amount of FEE-HELP debt you incurred for that study period.

The CAN only shows the current study period, not your entire FEE-HELP debt. For a complete statement of your accumulated HELP debt, contact the Australian Tax Office.

You can also keep track of how much you have borrowed through a FEE-HELP loan at the Government’s myUniAssist website. You’ll need your Commonwealth Higher Education Student Support Number (CHESSN) to log in (found on your CAN). myUniAssist will not show your entire debt balance or any payments made.

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